The Resistant Queen, page 12
Maggie stared at the three dregsin on the wall in horror. “What happens if a dregsin possesses a witch or human?”
“Nothing good,” Loravain said. “I didn’t know it at the time, but a witch I was sent to hunt had been possessed by a dregsin. From what the Dark One relayed to me, the demon would be able to increase the witch’s abilities exponentially. However, when a dregsin demon possesses the body of a sentient being, there is a battle for control and the demon rarely wins. Animals, on the other hand, are more instinctual and easier to control. The demon does not have to exert as much effort to overpower them and assert their dominance.”
During the course of their conversation, Maggie never took her eyes off the three dregsin on the wall. They surveyed the village but never looked higher than they sat.
“Do they ever look up?” Maggie asked.
“Animals rarely do unless they have reason to. They focus on what is in front of them, which is where the majority of their threats will come from. That instinct must still be intact. That or the demons have the same instinct.”
“How do you know so much?”
“I was a hunter and trapper in another life and spent years watching and learning. I did the same thing when I was in the service of the Dark One. I always study my prey.”
Maggie leaned over the railing and stared at the deer-headed dregsin on the ground. It had moved from the building and was searching the bushes around a small cabin. That one was harboring a few of the villagers.
“What do we do if they find someone?” Maggie asked.
“Nothing,” Duncan said.
“I agree with the raven,” Loravain said. “The more we learn, the better. We will watch, nothing more. Doing so would put you in danger and that is unacceptable.”
“What?” Maggie cried as quietly as she could. “You would let them die?”
“When I learned that the dregsin may be involved, I expected this. The best thing we can do is stay up here. If they haven’t discovered us yet, they are not likely to.”
Duncan hopped into view. “I never thought I would agree with this human, but I do.”
“I can’t believe what I’m hearing,” Maggie said. “These are my people. I cannot leave them here to die.”
Loravain placed a hand on her shoulder and stared deep into her eyes. “You gave them the option to leave, but they chose to stay. Helping them now would put you in danger and could prevent us from gathering vital information that could help save the rest of Priama. I know it sounds harsh, but at times like this, you must be willing to sacrifice the few for the many.”
“Your mother had to do it on more than one occasion,” Duncan said.
Resisting the urge to stomp her foot, Maggie spun around and stared into the fog shrouding the trees on the other side of the wall. “I don’t want to believe that. She had to have more humanity than that.”
“First of all, your mother was a witch, not a human. Second, she understood the value of life well enough to know when she needed to refocus her efforts elsewhere,” Duncan said.
Before Maggie could argue with the raven, she froze. She had caught sight of something on the far side of the village that stopped her heart in her chest. A small girl, no older than seven years old, stumbled around in clear view of the dregsin. She had not been seen yet but it was only a matter of time.
“Loravain?”
“I see her.”
“What are we going to do?” Maggie’s heart was now pounding against her ribs.
“If we want to maintain our current mission, I don’t think we can do anything. Risking you to save her would not be in Priama’s best interest.”
Maggie spun on him. “How can you say that? She is a child.”
Loravain stood tall and clenched his jaw. “Forgive me for saying this, Highness, but so are you. And an untrained child at that. There are five dregsin down there. I wouldn’t stand a chance against so many.”
“So, we’re going to stand up here and watch her die?” Maggie spat.
“No one said you had to watch,” Duncan said.
Blood poured into Maggie’s face. She was about to scream when time seemed to stop.
“Mommy?”
The brittle voice rang through the silent village, bringing the dregsin to a halt.
“No,” Maggie said with grim determination. “She is not going to die tonight.”
Before Loravain could do anything to stop her, Maggie vaulted over the railing and fell, hitting the ground hard, dagger ready in her fist.
“Get back up here, Maggie,” Loravain demanded.
“I can save her.”
“No, you can’t. You are only going to get yourself killed.”
Maggie turned her back on the fire mage and raced towards the girl. She knew she was no match for the dregsin physically and her magic was not strong enough to defeat them, but she had no doubt that she was faster than them. Her speed was all she needed right now.
The cold behind her heart spread through her muscles. With a burst of speed, Maggie sprinted towards the little girl, the scenery blurring together around her. The dregsin with the head of a bear turned on her faster than she thought possible. Maybe she had miscalculated but she was committed now. There was no turning back.
As she streaked towards the girl, the dregsin stretched out a deadly claw-filled hand and swiped at her legs. At the last second, Maggie pushed off the ground and soared into the air. Freezing air whipped around her body as the claw passed harmlessly beneath her. When she began her descent, she pleaded with her magic to help her. As if sensing her desperation, ice quickly encased her body. It was nowhere near as elegant as Astrid’s armor but it was better than nothing.
A large crack ran up her back when she landed but the joints held together as she bolted forward, though much slower than before. Maggie risked a glance over her shoulder when a bellow broke through the night. The moose dregsin was charging, its enormous antlers glistening in the fog. Without enough time or speed to counter or avoid the monster, it crashed into her, sending her bouncing across the dirt of the village road. Chunks of ice broke free, exposing precious skin. Maggie scrambled to her feet as she clumsily dodged another attack. The icy armor clinging to her body, though useful, was too heavy. The only purpose it served now was to slow her down. Ready to release her hold on it, she looked over at the little girl she was trying to save. The color drained from her face. The wolf-headed dregsin was creeping up behind her, a look of sick triumph playing across its muzzle.
“No,” Maggie cried, desperately jumping away from the moose.
She shot forward as large blue pieces of ice fell from her body. Speed was more important now than protection. As she ran, the magic that had formed her armor retreated back to her heart. Her muscles coiled like a spring as she prepared to jump. Pushing off the ground again, she flew through the air, landing lightly on the roof of the largest building in the village. She reached for her dagger but came up empty. She had lost it somewhere during the skirmish.
Lamenting the loss of her weapon, she leaped across to another roof and saw the man with the pitchfork hiding behind a small fence. His eyes never left the girl in the street. Was he trying to save her? It would do him no good though as the deer-headed dregsin was creeping up behind him without a sound. Had she not been up this high, she never would have seen it.
“Loravain,” she yelled as she jumped to another perch. “I need help.”
She glanced back at the watchtower, expecting to see the fire mage, but he was gone.
“Maggie.” Loravain called to her from a rooftop on the opposite side of the street. He held a long, stone staff with a lethally sharp obsidian point in his hands. “Do you remember our fight with the fire demons?”
She nodded.
“Good. I need you to distract them for me. Do not engage, just get their attention.”
A large smile crossed her face. She knew they would not be able to defeat so many dregsin, but now that Loravain was helping, Maggie thought she might at least survive the ordeal. She leaped back into action. With a push off the roof, she fell, slamming into the back of the wolf with both feet, flattening it to the ground. Before it had a chance to get up, Maggie was in the branches above it. When she looked back down, the hairs on its body were burning. Loravain had fire-bombed it. His hands were still smoking.
Now that the dregsin was no longer focused on the girl, the man with the pitchfork made his move. Holding his weapon at the ready, he jogged into the open. The distraction must have saved his life. When Maggie glanced back, the deer-headed dregsin was gone.
“Daddy!” the girl cried when she saw the man running towards her.
The attack came faster than Maggie could even react. The bear charged from the trees, cutting the man down with a powerful swipe of its claw. With a hollow moan, the man collapsed to the ground with a sickening thud. Thick blood pooled around his body, quickly freezing in the arctic air.
“Run.”
The man’s final plea hung in the air as the dregsin fell on him, ripping a chunk of flesh from his neck. The girl screamed.
“Time to go,” Duncan cawed as he flew past. “There is nothing else we can do here.”
Ignoring him, Maggie let her anger bubble to the surface. It warmed her body as she dropped from the tree branch. She was not going to lose the girl.
As she landed, lethal blades of ice formed around her fists and she charged. The wolf and bear were both in striking distance of the girl but they were both focused on Maggie. With blinding speed, she slashed at the throat of the bear. A satisfying slice sounded as the bear dropped, a gray-blue liquid splattering across her chest.
She broke the ice shards from her hands as she reached the girl and scooped her up in her arms. When she was secure, Maggie bolted. Her only hope now was to escape from the winter wall.
She glanced back only once, but it was enough to make her run faster. The bear had pushed itself up from the ground. The jagged gash across its neck was wide open and thick blood poured from it but the creature moved as if nothing had happened.
“Impossible,” she said as the fog of the winter wall obscured it from sight. “Hold on,” she whispered to the girl.
A second later, warmer air surrounded them. Thick clouds rolled overhead and heavy snowflakes fell around them. Maggie’s breath was labored but her lungs no longer ached from the cold.
“Where’s my mom?” the girl asked.
“She’s safe,” Maggie said, praying it was true. “We need to wait here until morning, okay? My friends will be joining us soon.”
The girl nodded and wiped her nose with a sleeve as Maggie put her down. “What’s your name?”
“Andrea,” the girl answered.
“You are a very brave girl, Andrea.”
Andrea sniffled but managed a short nod. “What’s your name?”
“Maggie.”
“My mom said you are the queen.”
“That’s right, I am,” Maggie confirmed.
“But you’re not old.”
Maggie laughed and took Andrea’s hands in hers. “No, I am not that old but that doesn’t mean I can’t take care of you.”
She placed a comforting hand on Andrea’s shoulder and turned to face the winter wall. It moved slowly forward, engulfing more trees with frozen pops and cracks. An occasional burst of light emanated from the wall, proving that Loravain was still alive and fighting, though she feared for him. There had to be more than five dregsin in there with him by now. When she started to think the worst, Loravain and Duncan broke free from the fog. A large gash ran down the mage’s face and, in that moment, all the anger Maggie felt towards him vanished.
“What happened?” she cried.
“I finished off the one you wounded.”
“But your face.”
“It will heal. How are you?” he asked.
“Scared. Those things move as fast as I do.”
“You have every right to be scared. Those dregsin fought with a rage I have never witnessed before. We must return to Priama and warn them.”
“Not yet,” Maggie said. “We need to wait until morning. If there are any survivors, we need to take them with us. I will not abandon them.”
The silent expression on Loravain’s face told her there would be no survivors. “We need to go.”
“No,” Andrea sobbed. “My mom is in there.”
Maggie stared daggers at Loravain until he gave in. “Fine, we will wait, but I promise you that it will not be a pretty sight.”
“At least we’ll know for sure when the winter wall retreats.”
“If it retreats,” Duncan said from above them.
Maggie did not think that the raven would have said anything in front of Andrea. The situation must be worse than she thought.
“What do you mean, if?” Maggie asked.
“We don’t know what is driving it. When the old witch came to Priama, the wall had not yet reached their village. It is advancing more and more each night it would seem, which proves that it is not natural. Unaided weather does not act this way. This village may be lost to us.”
Tears dripped from Andrea’s eyes and she hid her face in Maggie’s coat. Her body shook from her heavy sobs.
“It will retreat,” Maggie said, stroking Andrea’s head, ending the conversation. “Where are the horses?”
Loravain shook his head. “They have either fled or perished. We will have to walk back to Priama. I’ll start a fire for the night.”
They moved farther away from the advancing winter wall while Loravain gathered what he needed for the fire. As the night pressed on, Maggie kept Andrea cradled in her arms. Every hour or so, she would wake up in a tearful fit asking for her mother then slowly drift back to sleep. Maggie never closed her eyes. She kept a vigilant eye on the winter wall.
BY MORNING, THE WINTER wall had retreated back to the stone wall Loravain had summoned the night before, taking the dregsin with it. As the buildings came back into view, Loravain searched them, each time coming back empty-handed. He had been right. No one had survived the night and not a single body was found.
“Why would they do that?” Maggie asked. Before Loravain could answer, she shook her head. “Wait, I don’t think I want to know.”
When Loravain gave the all-clear, Andrea broke free of Maggie’s grip and ran to one of the buildings.
“Mommy? Mommy?” she cried.
“She won’t like it,” Loravain said. “You should go after her.”
Maggie nodded then slowly followed. When she entered the building Andrea was in, she found her huddled in the corner gripping a small fabric doll. The walls and floors were covered in deep claw marks and splatterings of blood still dripped from the ceiling.
“Mom always sits here in the morning,” Andrea said. “Where is she?”
Maggie reached out for her, holding back tears. “She isn’t here anymore. You’re going to come live with me now, okay?”
Andrea shook her head and wiped away the tears that were freely flowing down her cheeks. “What if she comes back and I’m not here? She’ll be scared.”
“We’ll leave a message for her,” Maggie said, searching for something to write with.
When she found paper and charcoal, she scribbled down a quick note and left it on the chair Andrea knelt next to. When Andrea was satisfied, she took Maggie’s hand and they walked back into the street where Loravain and Duncan waited for them. Andrea pulled at Maggie’s sleeve, motioning for her to come closer. When Maggie leaned in, Andrea pointed at Duncan.
“That bird can talk.”
Maggie patted her small hand as they walked away, too emotional to answer.
CHAPTER 10
Stars blinked in the sky by the time the walls of Priama came into view. Loravain carried Andrea in his arms and Duncan had left them long ago. Maggie focused on her feet, watching each step with exhaustion. She hoped she would be able to sleep. Each time she let her mind wander, the monsters inside the winter wall clambered through her thoughts, begging for attention.
“What are you going to do with this one?” Loravain asked.
Andrea was fast asleep. She had walked as far as she could but the deep snow was too much for her short legs.
“I don’t know. For now, she can stay with me, I guess. I’ll have a cot brought in from the healer’s tent. It might not be the most comfortable, but it will have to do.”
“And what about the dregsin?”
The fear Maggie had felt inside the winter wall crept back into her heart. She had been afraid before but the terror she had experienced there was unlike anything she had ever felt. “I honestly don’t know. What would you do?”
“Personally? Run. I would put as much distance between us as I could.”
“Is that what you’re planning on doing?” Maggie asked, a quiver behind her voice.
Loravain’s sigh was long and deep. “No, that is not what I am going to do, even though I want to. I swore myself to you for as long as I am needed, but I am no leader. You will not be able to look to me to take charge here.”
“You got us to Priama alive,” Maggie countered. “You had to take charge plenty of times then.”
“That was different. Getting you here was my task, and I performed it. I am still performing it. But ask me to defend an entire race against a demon horde and we are all likely to die.”
The tightness in Maggie’s chest dissipated after hearing that the mage would stay. Knowing that he would not leave her alone lifted her spirits. Not enough to give her much hope about the near future, but at least she smiled.
“Thank you,” she said. “I am worried though. I saw how easily the dregsin scaled the wall you created. I’m not sure the walls around Priama will give us any protection against this threat.”
Loravain nodded in agreement. “It didn’t even seem to slow them down, did it?”
“I’ve been thinking about that,” Maggie said. “I like the idea of having a stone wall around the city in addition to a wooden one nonetheless. What do you think?”
The mage shifted Andrea in his arms as she snored. “I’ll give it some thought. If I do it, I’ll want it to be more effective.”
